Introduction

We would like to thank OCZ for supplying the review sample.

OCZ had quite some time to introduce new PSU offerings, and they decided to do so with two Fatal1ty products. According to OCZ these were co-developed with twelve-time world champion Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel to ensure specific needs of fellow gamers were met, but we are pretty sure that Johnathan only offered his nickname to these units and didn't involve himself in their development.

According to their maker, the two new Fatal1ty units with capacities of 550 W and 750 W are built for gamers, so not only do these feature nice looks, but also an LED fan, a fully modular cabling design, a single +12V rail, and the ability to deliver their full power continuously at up to 45°C ambient temperature. OCZ also speaks of an extremely cool and quiet operation, but that claim is one we will either confirm or debunk soon enough. Both units are certified for 80 Plus Bronze efficiency, which puts them into the mainstream and mid-level categories.

We will take a detailed look at the smaller Fatal1ty PSU with a capacity of 550 W in this review. OCZ even claims it to support Intel’s 4th generation CPUs (Haswell), and it has two PCIe connectors for a single high-end VGA or two mainstream ones. The same unit is supported by a three year warranty, and its dimensions are pretty large for a 550 W PSU with 18 cm length because it uses the same casing as its 750 W sibling, . Probably the most interesting aspect of the Fatal1ty 550 W is its nice price tag: It is even more appealing if you take into account that you get a fully modular unit with a fancy LED fan for 70 bucks. But better read this review first before you decide whether to buy it or not, and avoid cheating by skipping directly to the last page for the conclusion.

Specifications

The PSU is 80 Plus Bronze certified and can deliver up to 550 W, so it falls into the mainstream category and mostly addresses small systems. It is fully modular and supports, according to OCZ, the newer Haswell CPUs, but our testing based on Intel's leaked guidelines shows that it doesn't. That said, you won't run into trouble if you opt to power a Haswell system with it, though this unit is not Haswell compatible according to Intel's unofficial testing procedure.

Its available protection features don't include OCP and OTP (Over Temperature Protection), and the 135 mm cooling fan is LED lit, uses a sleeve bearing. Like most Bronze units, this one doesn't feature a semi-passive operation, but has fairly large dimensions because it is 18 cm long. OCZ apparently didn't want to use another enclosure for the smaller Fatal1ty unit, so they used the same as that of the 750 W model. Finally, the warranty is set at three years, and the price looks good for its features.


The single +12V rail can almost deliver 500 W of power while the minor ones are quite strong for a unit of this capacity, or category. Finally, the 5VSB rail has the minimum allowed current output for a contemporary unit, which will suffice for a mainstream system.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

As expected, there are only two PCIe and a single EPS connector, and all are available at the same time. SATA and Peripheral connectors are surprisingly numerous for a 550 W unit, and we are obviously not going to complain about this, on the contrary. All cables are long enough while the distance between all connectors is adequate. Finally, all connectors use 18AGW wires, the recommended ATX standard.

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail, we do not have anything to comment on about its power distribution.

Packaging

The PSU is quite large despite its small capacity, so it needs a large package too. The design of the box is pretty nice: The front has a close-up of the unit's LED fan in action, emitting a red color. Next to it and on the left are the 80 Plus Bronze and three year warranty badges. OCZ even mentions its compatibility with Intel's new CPUs, the fully modular design, and the 550 W capacity at the top. We really wonder how they tested for Haswell compatibility since our testing shows that this PSU isn't Haswell ready, and we hate to see misleading information on a product's package.


You will find a paragraph that contains some information on the person that lend his name to the PSU line on this side.


OCZ was kind enough to include cable length and connector count on the package. However, we will verify this information with our trusty measuring tape.


A series of badges and a label containing the unit's model number can be found on the top.


You will find the unit's technical specifications and three paragraphs elaborating on its most noteworthy features on the rear of the box. The power specifications table according to which we will program our loads is near the bottom-left corner. OCZ again refers to this unit's Haswell compatibility here, though it isn't Haswell ready according to our tests.